The Air Force completed the first unmanned QF-16 full scale aerial target flight earlier this month, starting a two-year process to phase out the QF-4 aerial target.
Two Air Force test pilots in a ground control station remotely flew the Boeing– [BA] developed QF-16, which is a retired F-16 jet modified to be an aerial target capable of both manned and unmanned flight. The QF-16 performed a series of simulated maneuvers, supersonic flight and an auto-land, all without a pilot in the cockpit. Lockheed Martin [LMT] developed the original F-16.
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| A QF-16 full scale aerial target takes off on its first unmanned flight Sept. 19 at Tyndall AFB, Fla. Photo: Air Force. |
Future QF-16 operational evaluations include a live fire test at Holloman AFB, N.M., according to a Boeing statement. The Navy, Army and Air Force will ultimately use QF-16s for weapons testing and other training.
Boeing is currently modifying six F-16s into QF-16s. The Air Force in 2010 awarded Boeing a multi-year contract representing Phase I of the initial engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) of up to 126 QF-26 full scale aerial targets. The 28-month contract was valued at $72 million and covered pre-EMD efforts required to convert six F-16s into aerial targets and to perform contractor flight testing.
Testing on the six aircraft continues at Holloman.